While an edgy crop is flattering while you’re in your 20s, the same style may not translate as well as you get older — but that doesn’t mean you should forgo hair trends altogether once you reach your 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond. Looking to stars like Taylor Swift, Minka Kelly, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Demi Moore for inspiration, we rounded up 12 of the most flattering looks for every age, along with maintenance tips for giving your strands an extra boost. So, whether you want to try out this season’s must-have cut or combat 50 different shades of gray, we have you covered! Click the photo to see each look now, then bring your favorite to the salon so we can recreate it.
I always joke that I came out of the womb with bangs. As a product of the 1980s, I rocked a full fringe as soon as my hair was long enough to be cut into a style.
I grew them out when I was about 6 or 7 years old, because my best friend Kari didn’t have bangs and I wanted to look more like her (I clearly remember my hairdresser Vicki Preston laughing at me when I asked her to “cut off my bangs” because I didn’t understand they needed to be grown out)—my mom bought me a headband to help the transition and I wore that black glittery headband every single day until my bangs were long enough to tuck behind my ear.
Four years ago, after becoming bored with my hair style, I decided to get a full fringe again. I loved having a new look. At first it was difficult to “train” my bangs to not split down the center, but soon enough I became comfortable styling them. I’ll admit, I quickly became obsessive over them being perfectly straight and smooth at all times. It was very high maintenance.
They needed to be trimmed every eight-10 days otherwise they would move with my lashes whenever I blinked. And, having naturally curly hair, I had to be extremely cautious with them curling up if it was humid, or it rained, or if I got overheated from dancing at a wedding. I became a slave to my flatiron.
I actually would carry a flatiron with me in my purse sometimes for a 911 bang touchup. I had also been known to dash up to a tool booth at a trade show and do a few quick passes on my bangs before a meeting, or even backstage at Fashion Week I would sneak over to the tool table to polish up the fringe. It was challenging to maintain the look I desired–even with smoothing treatments.
Since my natural texture would sometimes present a problem with my hair style, and I was sick of always looking exactly the same (no matter what I did to update my look for a special occasion, or change my color formula, or wear dramatic eye make-up or lash extensions, I always looked the same) I finally decided to grow them out.
And this time I was serious. I nearly took a vow to NOT trim them—believe me, there were many failed attempts where texturizing turned into a trim. Now that I’m an adult, especially one who happens to work in the beauty industry, a black glittery headband would simply be unacceptable for every day wear.
Yes I went through several awkward, painful stages of the grow out process, but I am so excited that my former fringe is now a side-swept bang. I of course miss my old look sometimes, but it’s good to switch things up every now and then.
Anne Hathaway burst into tears when her hair was cut off for Les Miserables.
Actress Neha Dhupia, who let go of her long locks for her role of a career woman in Rush, says it is the biggest risk she has ever taken in her career.
